for my second 5 gallon batch I went with a Sierra Nevada Pale clone recipe. Extract plus steeping grains. While I'm a bit more hopeful for this one as I've learned a bit more over the past couple months thanks to various forums and podcasts. However, I really need to get a 8 gal SS kettle. Used a couple smaller pots on the stovetop and after loosing some to evaporation during eh 60 minute boil, I ended up with only about 2-2.5 gal of wort. I had hoped to get more and only need to add a couple gallons of water (boiled and cooled the day before brew day).

I steeped the Crystal, getting the water to 154°, turning off the (gas stove) burner, steeping bag in, cover. Left it on the burner but with the gas off for 30 min. Seemed to hold the temp pretty well. Turned the gas on once, about halfway thru the 30 just to get back up to around 153.

After pulling the nylon grain bag and letting it drip, I turned the gas back on, brought to a slow boil, removed from heat, and started adding the DME. Once it was in, I brought to a boil again and added the bittering hops (.625 oz of Magnum). 1 oz Perle at 30. 1 oz cascade at 15. I also added the LME around 15 min remaining (taking off the heat, stirring as I poured slowly). Didn't count the time off the boil when adding the LME as part of the 60.

Irish moss at 10 minutes. More cascade at 7 and flameout.

Took a while to cool down in the ice bath in the kitchen sink (a good half hour, if not 40 minutes).

Blowoff tube started bubbling about 10 hours later (last night) and as of now (32 hrs after going into the bucket) it's bubbling steadily. Got it around 64° and hoping to keep it from heating up much more than that until after the heavy activity is done (maybe 3 days?), when I'll move it to a slightly warmer area and hope for upper 60s temps.

The next purchase seems wisest to be a big SS pot (8 gal) and a basic wort chiller. My wife will appreciate me taking the brewing outside for sure, and I won't have to worry about having to boil all the water ahead of time to prep for the fermenter when doing partial boils.

6 days in. Moved the bucket on day 4 after the heavy bubbling slowed from the cool room to a slightly warmer one, knowing that the 1st few days the temp is rasied by the fermentation, but that slows. So the first few days the temp was about 64, and now it's at 66. Pulled the top to take a hydrometer reading and toss in .5 oz of cascade pellets for a little dry hopping. Hydro read 1.014 at 66°. (OG was 1.050)